The horse's hoof is composed of five major regions: the wall, the sole, the frog, the periople and the white line. The hoof grows as a result of cell division in the outer horn-producing cell layer of the sensitive structures of the hoof, namely the perioplic ring, the coronary band and the sensitive laminae. This process may be affected by many factors such as diet, stresses, injuries and diseases. In such cases, a distorted hoof is often produced. The hoof wall is of primary concern. It bears most of the horse's weight, is the most subject to wear and trauma and is the point of attachment of horseshoes, an invention designed to protect the hoof wall from rough terrain. Horseshoes have been employed for hundreds of years to help alleviate trauma to the horse's hooves, improve traction and to help heal damaged hooves.
The design and application of horse shoes requires the hands-on, personal attention of the farrier, previously known as a blacksmith. The farrier's job entails studying the hooves of a horse to be shod and selecting, adapting and even manufacturing horse shoes suitable to the individual horse. While there is substantial similarity in horse hooves, there are also many variations due to the factors mentioned above and simply due to genetic factors. After selecting and/or manufacturing suitable horse shoes, the farrier must safely install the horse shoes on the hooves of the horse. As horses tend to weigh 1000 lbs. or more and may have difficult personalities, the attachment of a horseshoe to the hoof of a horse without injury to the horse or the farrier is a task requiring considerable skill. Further complicating the work is the fact that the hoof must usually be trimmed to mate properly with the horseshoe and the shoe is typically attached with nails. If the nails are driven too deeply into the hoof, delicate capillaries may be injured and bleeding, discomfort and even infection may result.
Until recently, farriers were often trained using legs cut from dead horses. Recent legislation has severely limited such practices. The present invention addresses all of these problems in the training of farriers.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,721,419, issued to Carstensen, discloses a toy horse. This device includes a body portion, a neck portion and a head portion. Depending from the body portion are leg members, each comprising an upper section, a lower section and a hoof. Attached to the hoof portion of each leg by means of simulated horseshoe nails is a simulated horseshoe. The horseshoes are capable of application to and removal from the hooves by a child. The hooves should be formed of a material suitable to receive the nails and from which these nails may subsequently be withdrawn. Such a material may be a soft wood, such as balsa or yucca. A resilient material such as rubber may also be suitable for this purpose. However, wood will generally be preferable inasmuch as the pounding of nails thereinto is accompanied with a good deal of noise; the creation of such noise having a great deal of appeal to children.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,853,293, issued to Weber et al. is directed to a medical teaching aid. This device comprises a main body portion formed in the shape of a human foot, a fabric conforming to the main body portion, and selected facsimiles of foot conditions which are selectively and releasably received by and retained on the fabric. Alternatively, the medical teaching aid includes simulated nails which also are selectively and releasably received by and retained on the fabric. The selected facsimiles may be prepared from cloth that will conform to the shape of the main body portion when applied to the outer surface of the fabric. The selected facsimiles may contain indicia representing the visual appearance of specific foot disorders.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,309,791, issued to Kelly et al. illustrates an artificial insemination teaching apparatus. This device comprises a rigid housing having an exterior configuration simulating the posterior of the animal for which instruction is being given. In operation, a course of instruction in the technique of artificial insemination utilizing this device involves having the student practice the identical steps on the teaching apparatus which are performed on the live animal during an actual insemination. While the student endeavors to perform this operation, the instructor stands back of wall of the housing and grasps a control handle in one hand and selectively pumps air into or releases air out of the double-walled cavity. During the instruction period, the instructor also pivots the housing by means of the handle. The pedestal and hinged mounting plates support the housing for pivotal movement about a vertical axis located forward of flexible wall and upon a horizontal axis parallel to and forward of the flexible wall so that the instructor may simulate typical side-to-side and up-and-down movements of a live animal during the insemination procedure. By appropriate movement of the body and introduction of air into the hollow walls of the cavity member, the instructor can create conditions that are at least as arduous as those present when working with live animals so that the student develops substantial skill with the teaching apparatus.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,810,196, issued to Walker disclose a mannequin for use in teaching cosmetology. This device, mannequin, includes a face portion, scalp, neck, and hair which is permanently attached to the scalp by conventional means. A base member supports the mannequin on a table. The hair includes a patterned section comprised of a plurality of colored line diagrams whereby the individual strands of hair or sections of hair are imprinted or coated with coloring material to indicate a line of cutting or other work application. Each of the line diagrams is preferably a different color, but it is possible in alternate embodiments to have fewer diagrams, utilize only one color and have them spaced apart, separated by the natural hair color. The coloring material used may be selected from any of the contemporary, multiple colors of dye used for temporarily coloring the hair; may be permanent dyes of any kind compatible with human hair; or acrylics which are applied to the surface of the hair shaft. Further, it is anticipated that invisible inks visible only under ultra violet light might be used. The ends of the hair, up to the line “h” are (example only) indicated as being red and on the actual model, the red line diagram might be approximately three-quarters of an inch to one inch depth. In use, a student would be instructed to take off approximately one-third of the red portion, for a first hair cut. The instructor would then evaluate the cut and the student would be instructed to repeat the cut one or two more times, removing the entire red diagram.
It is an objective of the present invention to provide a system to teach farriers to trim horse hooves in preparation for shoeing. It is a further objective to provide such a system that will allow the farrier to practice installation of horseshoes on an artificial hoof. It is a still further objective of the invention to provide for artificial hooves that simulate various hoof formation problems. It is yet a further objective to provide artificial hooves that are nailable, replaceable and that simulate the problems associated with attaching the shoe to the horse's hoof improperly. Finally, it is an objective of the present invention to provide an apparatus that simulates the postures necessary to properly hold the horse's leg for shoeing.
While some of the objectives of the present invention are disclosed in the prior art, none of the inventions found include all of the requirements identified.